This week’s episode features a clip from one of our recent webinars focused on how AI search is changing the way patients find urgent care clinics.

Search is no longer just “urgent care near me.” Patients are asking longer, more detailed questions through voice search and AI tools like ChatGPT, and those platforms are starting to control what information gets surfaced first.

In this session, Nick and Michael break down what that shift means for urgent care operators. They walk through how AI search works today, why some clinics are starting to lose visibility, and what you can do now to stay competitive as search continues to evolve.

If your clinic relies on Google for patient volume, this is a conversation you need to hear.

We cover:

📊 How patient search behavior is shifting from keywords to conversations
🗣️ Why voice search and AI tools are influencing patient decisions
📉 How AI summaries are reducing clicks to your website
🧠 The difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO, and why it matters
📄 Why your website needs to answer patient questions, not just list services
⭐ How reviews, listings, and trust signals impact AI visibility
📍 Why local SEO still plays a critical role in AI-driven search
🤖 What ChatGPT healthcare and AI ads could mean for urgent care marketing

If you want to stay visible and competitive in 2026, this episode will help you understand where search is heading and how to start adapting now.

🔗 Resources & Mentions:
Test your AI visibility by running your own prompts in ChatGPT or Gemini using your services and location!

Explore PCMP’s marketing resources: https://patientcaremarketingpros.com/

💬 Stay Connected:

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for updates, tips, and behind-the-scenes content.

Website: https://patientcaremarketingpros.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patientcaremarketingpros
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patient-care-marketing-pros/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9nwkAwIyiVvsLTWGoeRbWA

Want to be a guest, recommend someone for the show, or ask a question? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at hello@patientcaremarketingpros.com

🎵 Intro/Outro Music by Devin Smith:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4UdQjNXnACFE2VpkEoP8v2?si=pDx5jsgtRFOtwrpMOKOkuQ

Turning around a struggling clinic can feel overwhelming, especially when patient volume starts dropping.

In this episode, Nick and Michael share the exact framework they presented at the Experity Urgent Care Connect conference for stabilizing and growing an urgent care clinic in 90 days. They walk through the three phases every clinic should focus on: fixing visibility, improving front desk conversions, and building stronger community engagement.

Along the way, they unpack common mistakes clinics make with marketing, call handling, and ad spending that quietly cost them patients every day. If your clinic feels stuck, this episode gives you a practical roadmap to rebuild patient volume and momentum.

🔥 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

📉 Why declining patient volume is happening in many markets and what clinics can do about it

📞 How missed phone calls quietly destroy marketing ROI and cost clinics new patients

📍 Why your Google Business Profile matters as much as your physical clinic location

💬 How simple front desk scripting changes can dramatically increase bookings

🌐 Why local SEO and online reviews drive visibility in the “urgent care near me” search

🤝 How community partnerships with schools, gyms, and local organizations drive patient growth

📈 The three phase marketing framework to stabilize, accelerate, and sustain clinic growth

💬 Stay Connected:

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for updates, tips, and behind-the-scenes content.

Website: https://patientcaremarketingpros.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patientcaremarketingpros

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patient-care-marketing-pros/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9nwkAwIyiVvsLTWGoeRbWA

Want to be a guest, recommend someone for the show, or ask a question? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at hello@patientcaremarketingpros.com

🎵 Intro/Outro Music by Devin Smith: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4UdQjNXnACFE2VpkEoP8v2?si=pDx5jsgtRFOtwrpMOKOkuQ

Urgent care isn’t just a convenient alternative to the ER anymore. It’s becoming a critical piece of the healthcare access puzzle — and the Urgent Care Association is working to make sure operators have a real voice in where the industry goes next.

In this episode, we sit down with Steve Sellars, CEO of the Urgent Care Association (UCA), for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of urgent care, the policy and reimbursement pressures impacting operators, and what UCA is doing right now to strengthen the urgent care ecosystem nationwide.

With 30+ years in healthcare leadership — including time on the payer side, inside a large health system, and 20 years in urgent care operations and joint ventures — Steve brings a rare “whole-system” perspective. We unpack what he’s seeing in 2026, what urgent care leaders should be preparing for, and why advocacy, quality, and integration into the broader healthcare continuum are no longer optional.

You’ll also hear a preview of what to expect at the upcoming UCA Convention in Chicago, why the theme “Amplify” matters, and how operators can get more value from the exhibit hall, the networking, and the policy work happening behind the scenes.

🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

🏛️ What the Urgent Care Association is advocating for right now — and why it matters to your bottom line

💸 Why reimbursement reform is the biggest sustainability issue facing urgent care operators

🧩 How urgent care fits into solving the healthcare “access + affordability” crisis

👥 Why workforce shortages and scope-of-practice barriers are still limiting growth in many states

📍 What makes the UCA Convention a “can’t miss” event for operators (beyond CE and sessions)

🤝 How to approach vendors as true partners, not just booth conversations

📈 The 2026 trends Steve believes will shape urgent care next: integration, navigation, quality, and data

🧠 About Our Guest:

Steve Sellars is the CEO of the Urgent Care Association (UCA) and a long-time urgent care operator and industry leader with over 30 years of healthcare management experience. His background includes eight years in managed care, five years with one of the largest health systems in the Gulf South, and twenty years dedicated exclusively to urgent care joint-venture development and management.

Steve served as the 2016–2017 UCA Board President, previously held roles as UCA Secretary and Chair of the Education Committee, and received the 2019 UCA Lifetime Membership Award. At the 2024 UCA Convention, he received the Quality and Safety Award for his contributions to quality improvement and patient safety, including his work as a founding member of the Accreditation Committee.

He earned both his undergraduate degree and MBA from Louisiana State University (LSU) — Geaux Tigers! — and enjoys time with his wife Shannon, their family (especially their two grandchildren), and relaxing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

🛠️ Resources:

• Urgent Care Association (UCA): https://urgentcareassociation.org/

• Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-sellars-b129b025/

• Looking to grow patient volume, strengthen retention, and build a scalable marketing system? Explore PCMP’s 90-day patient acquisition framework: https://patientcaremarketingpros.com

💬 Stay Connected:

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes content.

Website: https://patientcaremarketingpros.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patientcaremarketingpros

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patient-care-marketing-pros/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9nwkAwIyiVvsLTWGoeRbWA

Want to be a guest, recommend someone for the show, or ask a question? We would love to hear from you.Email us at hello@patientcaremarketingpros.com

🎵 Intro and Outro Music by Devin Smith:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4UdQjNXnACFE2VpkEoP8v2?si=pDx5jsgtRFOtwrpMOKOkuQ